Attaching WSS 2.0 content database to a MOSS 2007 Web application

I've been stuck all week trying to migrate a wss 2.0 content database to a MOSS 2007 dev environment, it's supposed to be a straight forward process; I followed the documented steps and every time I ended up with the content database, apparently well attached to the newly created web application, but under the "number of sites" column (content database page in CA) I had "0 sites"; when trying to browse to the site it would just redirect me to the 404 Page not found.

As background, a colleague of mine already went through this process successfully; he had a backup of the original wss 2.0 content database restored in the Sql development environment, he attached it to a web application with no issues. Since, users modified the original wss 2.0 site content, this effort was useless now and I had the task to do it all over again.

So, these are the steps I followed:

1) I've got (a fresh) backup copy of the original wss 2.0 site content database from my DBA, and have it restored in the Sql server in dev environment.

2)I attached this wss 2.0 content db to a MOSS web application, this process should convert the wss 2.0 databse schema to wss 3.0; for this step there is more than one way to do it:

• Create a new web application on Central Administration, then after the process ends go ahead and remove (deattach) the default content database created by SharePoint; attach the wss 2.0 content db using: stsadm –o addcontentdb –url -databasename -databaseserver
• Create a new web application on CA (let SharePoint create the content db), when finished remove the default database using CA; attach the wss 2.0 content database using the CA (manage content databases page).
• Create a new web application using the CA; this time, don't allow SharePoint to create a new database, change the default database for the wss 2.0 database which we want to migrate. This process should convert the wss 2.0 content database, but it might timeout forcing you to use stsadm tool.

So, I tried all of these steps and every time I would end with the same result; the database was attached to the web application, but the site was unaccessible.

Finally, I recalled about my colleague's previous effort, his web application was still there with the outdated, but yet same content database I was trying to migrate again.

After I de-attached that old content database from his web application and retried all the steps above, everything was fine!

I removed that old content database, and attached the fresh content database to my MOSS web application and I was able to browse immediately to the (now converted) wss 2.0 sites!

It seems that SharePoint is keeping some reference to each database attached to web applications in the config database; I took the time to test this scenario several times, and it seems you can't in fact attach a copy of the same database (even though is a different instance) into two different web applications in the same farm, SharePoint will notice this and won't allow you to access properly to the sites in the web application/content db you pair last.

I know it sounds weird, but that's how I was able to migrate my wss 2.0 site to MOSS.

If you happen to know more details about why this happens or a more elegant wording for what I just posted please throw me a line, I will update this page.